The present invention relates to a device and method for detecting alkali metals in gas streams, and more particularly relates to detection of alkali metals present in trace amounts in gas streams over a wide range of pressure, including high pressure.
There are numerous instances where gases may contain alkali metals, the detection of which would prove useful. For example, in systems such as power plants including a gas turbine, it has been proposed to use gaseous products of combustion of coal or residual oil, gaseous products produced by gasification of coal, etc., as the motive fluid or gas stream for operating the gas turbine. One of the problems facing use of such gas for operating the gas turbine is that the gas typically contains alkali metals, which are found to deposit on working surfaces of the turbine with resulting detrimental effects (e.g. corrosion) on such surfaces.
It would be desirable to have a device and method for detecting the presence of alkali metals in such streams and more particularly desirable to have such device and method capable of detecting the presence of trace amounts of alkali metals in such streams over a wide pressure range, including high pressure.
It has now been found by practice of the present invention that in device and method embodiments thereof, presence of alkali metals, even in trace amounts, in such gas streams can be effectively and quantitatively detected over a wide range of gas pressure.